Birthday Celebration!

Birthdays are one of my all time favorite events to celebrate and enjoy! I feel loved as friends and family come together. I love seeing all God has done in the past year and anticipating all He has in store for the coming year.

My husband decided the week before my birthday that he wanted to throw a birthday party for me. I have to admit my first reaction was a little skeptical. How are you are going to plan the party in a week? Who are you going to invite? Where will the cookout out be? We don’t own a grill. I consider myself more of the planner and one who is into details. Thankfully, I quickly realized that Stephen was doing this because he wanted me to feel loved on my birthday. I also realize that my fears and questions were based on a desire for control. I quickly released any sense of control and decided to trust Stephen fully with his plans for my birthday.

My wonderful husband did not simply pull off the birthday party, he wowed me in the process. For someone who prides themselves on details, I was impressed with all the details Stephen thought of that I may have overlooked. I felt so loved by all the time and effort he put into the party.

My birthday celebration taught me a five things about God.

1. We can trust God because He loves us

It was hard for me to initially release control. What if things didn’t go like I would have planned? Yet, the moment I stepped back and remembered just how much my husband loves me, I was able to easily release control. His motivation for planning a birthday party for me was purely out of love. In the same way, how often do we have a hard time releasing our sense of control to God? We think we have the best plans in mind for our life. Yet, when we truly know and experience God’s love for us, we will trust Him fully with our lives, our plans, and our future. For He is good and oh how He loves us!

2. God has unlimited resources

My husband had limited resources but he is very resourceful. He is not afraid to ask for help. Stephen wanted to have a cookout so he asked our landlord if we could use his grill and the backyard. Stephen borrowed yard games from a friend. He put someone in charge of music, a speaker, and a playlist. If my husband, with limited resources got everything he wanted for the cookout, just think about our Abba Father. He has UNLIMITED resources! He can do more than we could ever think or imagine. May we not underestimate who God is.

3. God is lavish!

Stephen went above and beyond. When Stephen asked me what kind of cake I wanted, I said I simply wanted brownies and ice cream. Well, Stephen didn’t want to do simple on my birthday. He wanted to lavishly show his love and make me feel special. Stephen ended up getting a beautiful and delicious ice cream cake from Ben and Jerry’s. In the same way, our Heaving Father is not stingy. He lavishly pours grace and love upon us. He delights in giving us good gifts!

4. God cares about every detail

Stephen trusted God with all the details. He knew that whoever was suppose to be there to celebrate me would show up. As Stephen was setting up for the cookout, he met our very friendly next door neighbors. Of course, Stephen invited them to the cookout. We could not believe it, when our neighbor Al ended up knowing one of Stephen’s good friends Dan. It turns out they had worked together years ago. Is God not in the details?

When Stephen called about the ice cream cake, he was told he would have to wait to pick up a custom made cake. However, they did have a couple cakes already made. One of them being a brownie ice cream cake. Exactly what I had told stephen I wanted on my birthday. Ice cream and brownies.

We can trust God in the everyday details of our lives. Yes, make plans and prepare yet we do not have to carry the burden of it all. For God cares about the big and small things in our lives.

5. God knows the desires of our hearts

One of the hardest things about our first year of our marriage was how much I missed all of my friends. There were definite moments of feeling lonely. My husband showed me that in just two years, there are people who love and me care about me in Boston. My husband knew the desire of my heart was for friendship. How much more does our Abba Father know about the desires of our hearts? He cares deeply about us. Yes, we may have to wait for His timing but He will fulfill the desires He has placed within us.

How do you like to celebrate your birthday? What has God been teaching you lately?